Oar guard



Oct. 20, 1953 SCHAPER I 2,655,669

OAR GUARD Filed Aug. 31, 1949 .721 wen Z 02 fife?" Jc/za aer Patented Oct. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in oar attachments for the use of fishermen and the like.

One object of my invention is to provide an attachment which can be applied removably to the car of the boat so that the fisherman may row the boat for trolling and, at the same time, maintain complete control of the line and rod, whereby he may instantly detach himself from the oar for manipulation of the rod and line in the event he gets a strike.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a row boat illustrating the use of my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of an oar handle showing my apparatus in place;

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail of the saddle which is applied to the handle;

Figure 5 is a detail of the wrist band.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specifications and drawings.

i is a row boat, 2 the usual type of oar lock, 1i

rotatably mounted in the gunwale of the boat, 3 is an oar pivoted by the pin 4 in the oar lock. The oar is the usual type having a balde 5 and a handl 6 of reduced size. 1 is a saddle having a generally cylindrical underside as indicated. at 8 to engage a strap 9 and buckle [0. There may be one or more straps and buckles as desired. The strap is buckled around the handle in suchwise as to hold the saddle 1 in position on the ear handle. The saddle 1 has on its upper side a slot H or track undercut on both sides at i2,

the slots and undercuts being parallel with the axis of the oar, the strap 9 being riveted or otherwise fastened to the saddle as indicated at l3.

I4 is a wrist band which may be buckled around the arm 15 of the fisherman [6 by means of the strap I1 and buckle I8 so that the wrist band will snugly fit the wrist of the user but leave his hand free to grasp the handle 19 of the rod 29. On the under side of the wrist band is an inter-locking slide member 2! grooved on each side as at 22, the relation between the slide member 2!, the groove 22, and the saddle i being such that the slide member may slide in the groove it. being held in a position by the overhanging ledges 24 which penetrate the grooves 22 so that the parts may assume the osition shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, under which circumstances the fisherman may row the boat just as if he were placing his hand on the handle of the oar. Tension, however, is applied through the wrist band.

The pin 4 prevents rotation of the car about its longitudinal axis so that the off-center load applied by the relationship between the wrist band, the saddle, and the interlocking means is prevented from rotating the car. Thus the fisherman may row without the inconvenience,

A and still be able to hold the rod in his hand.

iii)

It will be realized that, whereas I have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless, many changes may be made in the size, shape, arrangement, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I Wish, therefore, that my showing be taken as, in a large sense, illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

The fisherman selects a boat which has the usual type of pin oar so common in the inland lake fishing regions. He straps the cradle to the handle, positioning it on the upper side of the handle and tightening the straps to hold the cradle in place. He then straps the wrist band around his own wrist. He slides the carrier on the wrist band into the slots on the cradle from either side as he pleases. He then starts rowing, holding the rod in his hand, applying the power of his arm to the oar through the connection thus provided.

As soon as the fisherman gets a strike he ceases rowing, slides his arm either outboard or inboard as the case may be to disengage the wrist band from the cradle. Under these circumstances he is entirely free of the oar and free to manipulate the rod.

This is in sharp contrast with the usual arrangement where the fisherman has both hands on the oar and lays the rod down in the boat, perhaps holding it with his foot, and on a strike has to let go of the oar and reach over or under the oar for the rod, very likely losing the rod or knocking himself out on the oar handle.

Under these circumstances, the fisherman has, at all times, complete control of the boat and the rod. Of course, one advantage additionally of this arrangement is that as the fisherman moves back and forth in rowing he applies a more lifelike jerky motion to the particular bait he is using than would be the case if the bait were propelled at one rate of speed by the boat.

Obviously the lighter the device, and the more flexible that part which contacts the oarsman, the better. The cradle and the extension on the wrist band would preferably be made of some light, non-corrosive metal, such as aluminum, though they might be of plastic. The wrist band might be made of leather or canvas. The same is true of the straps anchoring the cradle to the car handle.

I claim:

1. An oar harness comprising an oar attachable member and attaching means thereon for removably attaching the same to an an oar handle, a tube member and attaching means thereon for removably attaching the same to the wrist of an oarsman, and interlocking means on and between said members to allow relative movement of the tube member only in a direction substantially parallel with the axis of the car.

2. A harness for cars and the like comprising a cradle adapted to rest on and partially encircle an oar handle, means secured to the cradle for removably attaching the same to the oar handle, a wristband adapted to removably engage the wrist of an oarsman leaving the oarsmans hand free, and interlocking members on the cradle and the wristband including a track on one of said members and a slide on the other of said members movable therealong, said track and slide preventing relative movement of the cradle with respect to the wristband in an oar handle, means thereon !or removably attaching said element to the oar handle, a wristband element adapted to removably engage the wrist of an oarsman leaving the oarsmans hands free, and means on and between the elements to prevent movement of the wristband element along a line generally perpendicular to the oar handle while leaving the cradle and wristband elements free for relative movement along a line parallel with the car handle, said lastmentioned means including a grooved member on one of said elements and overhanging flanges on the other to engage the groove in the said one element.

4. An oar harness comprising a band and attaching means thereon for removably attaching the same to the wrist of an oarsman, a member and means thereon for removably mounting the same on the handle of an oar, and means on the band and member for allowing relative movement between the two in only one direction.

PETER SCI-IAPER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Johnson et ai Sept. 2, 1947 

